poppies

Question 1

what is the poem about?

Answer 1

the poem is about a mother who describes her son leaving home to fight in the army and her emotional reaction to her son leaving. she feels sad, lonely and scared for his safety.

Question 2

who wrote the poem poppies?

Answer 2

jane weir

Question 3

why did jane weir write poppies?

Answer 3

was her response to commission for war poems by the poet lauret carol ann duffy.a response to the loses already suffered during the wars in iraq and afghanistan. she felt, as the mother of two teenage boys , then speaking from a mother’s perspective about loss would be powerful.

Question 4

what does a song bird represent in poppies?

Answer 4

metaphor conveys how she is setting him free to be killed as song birds are ‘easy prey’. a symbol of peace , although it probaly implies that his only peace is in dying

Question 5

what does the pear symbolize in poppies?

Answer 5

‘later a single dove flew from the power tree’-the ‘pear’ tree symbolises immortal life and that there love is for ever.she’s saying that she’ll love him forever.the ‘dove’ represents peace , the holy spirt, freedom and acending to heaven after death.

Question 6

the themes in poppies

Answer 6

power of humans
power of nature
power of memory
war 
death
re;igion
first hand expirence

Question 7

what tone is in poppies

Answer 7

the poem refrences ‘armistice sunday’ which acts as a symbol of grief and loss, setting a mornful tone.